Some things to consider about making a trip to Mongolia.
1. Getting there is not easy. You could go the hard way, or you could call a travel agent. Travel agents work best for areas of the world where internet connectivity is low. I would recommend Tegshee at Flights Mongolia. You can reach her at: booking[at]flightsmongolia[dot]com – for those who follow flights hoping that they move up and down, the earlier you book flights to Mongolia the better because flights don’t go down.
2. I suggest going to the countryside to camp and get away from the drunken Mongols. I think the best idea is to hire a car with a driver and a translator. I used a travel agency called Radiant Sky, located on the main strip not too far from the State Department Store. The rental options range from Russian Jeep to Toyota Land Cruiser. I went with a Russian Jeep, but if I were to do it again, I would go with the Land Cruiser or the 4Runner. The Russian Jeep has terrible fuel economy (net net it costs more than the savings on per day vehicle rental), and it is also really slow (my driver averaged 40km/h and I think he hit 80km/h once when he descended a really steep and long hill).
3. Any car on the road can become a taxi, and you will pay by the kilometer. I never asked for a quote beforehand, and that never turned out to be a problem until I went to the airport at 5AM. The driver wanted round trip fare for the 10KM ride because it was too early for him to take someone back into town. So, ask if you are going to the airport. If you are in town and someone tries to screw you, simply give them the fair rate and get out of the car. By the way, the trip to/from the airport should be between 8,000 to 10,000 TK each way.
4. If you are going camping, dress in layers, bring a warm sleeping bag with you, or make sure you ask your tour company for extra blankets. Mongolia doesn’t really get warm, especially at night. In July, it was around 40-50 degrees at night, and there is no heating infrastructure anywhere.
